Date: Fri 09 Feb 2018

Seventeen-goal Evans leading Cardiff City revival

Cardiff Met currently top the Orchard Welsh Premier Women's League table, but it is Cardiff City striker Shannon Evans who is currently dominating the goalscoring charts, mainly thanks to a double hat-trick in their last match against Caernarfon Town.

Top scorer for the Bluebirds in each of the last two seasons, Evans is well on-course to make it a hat-trick of club awards, but is now also in pole position to claim the coveted Golden Boot at the end of the campaign. Responsible for 17 of Cardiff City's 29 WPWL goals during the current season, the tall 21-year old striker has opened up an eight-goal lead over closest rivals Jodie Passmore (Swansea City) and Louisha Doran (Llandudno), and will come head-to-head against Doran on Sunday afternoon (2pm).

Cardiff City currently sit fourth in the WPWL table and host Llandudno at the weekend. Evans scored 22 goals last season, but it was Abergavenny's Lyndsey Davies who claimed the top goalscorer award having found the back of the net 28 times for Richie Jeremiah's side. Cardiff City are level on 19 points with Abergavenny and champions Swansea City, but having played two games more than their immediate rivals, they stand less of a chance of catching runaway leaders Cardiff Met despite Evans' outstanding contribution.

It was back in 2012/13 that Cardiff City claimed their one and only WPWL title, the only time the monopoly enjoyed by Swansea City and Cardiff Met has been broken since the league was formed in 2009/10. The team from the capital headed to Bosnia and Herzegovina for their UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round as a result of their domestic success, but suffered three defeats without scoring a single goal.

Head coach Joel Hutton has had to contend with a few injury problems in the opening half of the current season, but claimed a convincing 8-1 win away at Caernarfon Town in their last fixture, and he will be keen for his side to build on victory that when they host Llandudno on Sunday. Evans scored six in the win, and the in-form striker will be confident of increasing her already impressive goal tally, having already scored a brace twice against Llandudno this season in both the league and League Cup.

There is a full programme of WPWL fixtures on Sunday as current league leaders Cardiff Met host Port Talbot Town at the later time of 5.30pm. Elsewhere, champions Swansea City make the journey to bottom club Caldicot Town, while fellow struggling newcomers Caernarfon Town make the long journey to Cyncoed. Meanwhile, third-place Abergavenny host Rhyl in the remaining game of the weekend as they look to continue their impressive campaign.